Three's A Crowd
by jareya
Summary: Mac and Harm take a trip to an island paradise for their first wedding anniversary - and make an interesting new friend along the way. Originally written for the March 2013 HBX Challenge.
1. Chapter 1 - Meeting Matt Ryerson

_A/N: This story will have four or five chapters, but I'll post them pretty rapidly. For the purposes of this story, please assume that Harm and Mac got together early in Season 8 of the show, and are now married. Both were transferred out of JAG shortly before they got married, but their 'new' billets are in the same location. At the time of this story, they've been married for a year. As always, your reviews are welcome and appreciated._

_Disclaimer: Just checked and nope, still don't own 'em._

The first time Mac and Harm met Matt Ryerson was when they boarded a plane bound for an island paradise. To mark the end of their first year of marriage, the Marine and her husband were heading to Aruba to spend a well-deserved five days away from the pressures and demands of work.

Taking time off for a vacation was a feat they'd both had to work hard to achieve, and they planned to spend every moment of their time away wrapped up in nothing but each other. As Mac put it when they were finally able to synchronize their schedules, Aruba would be the perfect destination for a break – "nothing but sun, surf, sand, sports…"

"Sounds good," Harm had replied, "but are you sure you don't want to consider going somewhere else?"

"Hang on a minute, I hadn't finished listing what we'll be doing in Aruba," Mac cut in with a teasing smile, "where was I? Oh yeah, all those 'S' words – sports, skin, sex – lots and lots of sex..."

The words were barely out of her mouth before Harm was calling up a travel agent to book airline tickets and a room at one of the island's smaller, more intimate resorts.

When they reached their row on the plane, Matt, a balding middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes, was ensconced in the aisle seat, wearing a green T-shirt and blue denim shorts.

"Mind if we squeeze past you?" Harm enquired politely, and Matt smilingly obliged, easing his considerable bulk from his seat to let Harm and Mac through to the window and middle seats.

They had barely settled in when Matt spoke up.

"Hi there," he said, sticking out a hand. "How are you doing? I'm Matt."

Harm and Mac politely introduced themselves and made small talk with Matt until the safety briefing began.

When the checks and formalities were over and the plane was rising gracefully into the skies, Mac turned to Harm, leaning against him and linking an arm through his. "Can you believe it's been a year already?"

Harm smiled, intertwining their fingers. "Still feels like yesterday."

Both fell into a comfortable silence, reminiscing on their wedding day – a simple, stylish affair at a small neighborhood chapel – and the whirlwind year that had followed. With each of them beginning new assignments shortly before the wedding, they'd struggled to make time for each other amidst the challenges of work. They had fought many times, over ridiculously trivial things as well as serious issues, but they'd always managed to muddle their way through their problems, learning more about each other along the way. And they'd both had _fun_ in their year together – more fun, they often admitted to each other, than they'd had in years.

Harm sighed, and Mac looked up at him with a question in her eyes. "That was a very deep sigh for a man who's going away on vacation."

Harm shook his head. "No, I was just thinking," he said slowly, "that we should have done this marriage thing a long time ago."

"I agree," Mac responded, squeezing his arm with a wistful smile, "but what matters is that we're together now, and hopefully with many more years to look forward to."

Harm lowered his head to Mac's, and they were just about to kiss when Matt, who had been sitting in silence beside them, cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt you two in a private moment, but does either of you remember what the pilot said about the temperature in Aruba?"

"I think he said 86," Mac replied helpfully, "warm and sunny."

"86!" Matt exclaimed. "That's perfect. I grew up in Africa, you know. My parents were missionaries in Kenya, and when I returned to the States with them, I was seven years old. We moved straight from the tropics to Vermont, and I can tell you both, I thought I was going to die that first winter. I had gotten so used to the constant sunshine… but I soon found out that winter has its upside… I'll never forget making my first snowman with my new best friend, Chris…."

And so it began. Matt went on and on, regaling Harm and Mac with tales of his childhood years. As interesting as some of the stories were, Harm and Mac soon started to wish he would just stop talking. He didn't though, not even when Mac started to fall asleep; and not even when Harm cracked open a book.

When their plane landed in Aruba, Mac and Harm were not the least bit sorry to say goodbye to their newfound friend. Their relief was short-lived however, when they arrived at their resort and lifted their luggage out of the trunk of their cab. They were paying the driver when they saw another cab drive up – one with Matt waving happily at them from the back seat.

"Oh hey, look who's here," Matt exclaimed, jumping out, "I didn't know we were staying at the same place – we could've shared a cab!"

"Or not," Harm muttered under his breath.

Mac turned her head to glare at him briefly before turning towards Matt with a warm smile of acknowledgment. "Maybe we'll bump into each other while we're here," she called out to Matt. They exchanged waves before separating.

The couple checked into their room, which was furnished simply but beautifully, and had a gloriously scenic view of the beach and ocean. With the discipline that had become second nature, they swiftly unpacked their belongings, freshened up and changed their clothes. Then Harm stretched out on the bed, pulling Mac down with him. They lay facing the ceiling, hands linked, heads touching.

They both sighed contentedly in unison, and then laughed.

"This is the life," Harm said. "Just the two of us. No unexpected phone calls, no case files, no interruptions. And thankfully, no Matt Ryerson to talk our ears off."

Mac gave him a light, playful punch in his side. "That's not very nice, Harm."

"Come on Mac, admit it, he was a gigantic pain in the you-know-what."

Mac wrinkled her nose. "Okay, so he was a little over the top. But I can't help but like the guy – he's so cheerful… and he reminds me of Uncle Matt."

"The only thing that guy has in common with your uncle is his first name," Harm scoffed.

Mac laughed. "I wasn't referring to his personality – he and Uncle Matt are like chalk and cheese in that area. It's the eyes. There's a certain… kindness in his eyes."

"Well, kind eyes or not," Harm asserted, "I hope he enjoys his vacation, and lets us enjoy ours – in peace."

"Enough about Matt," Mac said, lowering her voice to a silky whisper, "so… now that we're here, what would you like to do first?"

Harm pretended to consider. "Well, we could go for a walk on the beach, or go and explore the town, maybe grab something to eat…."

"Or," Mac interrupted, climbing over him, "we could hang out here for a while…." She leaned over him, placed her lips against his, and whispered against them, "…and start this vacation off right."

"I have to say I like that idea," Harm said, smiling against his wife's lips before capturing them in a long, leisurely kiss.

Harm and Mac ended up spending the entire afternoon in their room, before realizing that they were starving. After a shower, they decided to go out for dinner at one of the resort's restaurants. Harm looked relaxed and comfortable in slacks and a white shirt. Mac wore a long, strapless dress in navy blue, with gold sandals and accessories. Her hair was pinned up, and she was wearing light make-up.

"Have I mentioned how stunning you look tonight?" Harm asked her, his hand stroking her back as they walked into the Asian fusion restaurant.

Mac smiled. "Only about a hundred times, but who's counting? You look pretty good yourself." She tightened the arm she had slung around his waist – it seemed like they hadn't been able to stop touching each other since they arrived in Aruba.

They had barely sat down at their table and opened their menus when they heard a familiar voice.


	2. Chapter 2 - Getting 'Shadowed'

_A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing... This one is quite a short chapter, but the next will be longer._

"Well, if it isn't my new best friends!" Matt hooted as he strode happily towards their table.

Harm's expression tightened slightly, and even Mac's smile faltered a little as Matt approached. But they managed to put on friendly faces, greeting Matt warmly.

"So," Matt began, "I don't know about you guys, but after that flight, I'm famished. I feel like I could eat a horse. So… what did you two order?"

Mac hid a smile behind her menu. "We haven't ordered yet."

"Oh good," Matt exclaimed, "I can definitely make some recommendations."

"You've eaten here before?" Harm asked.

Matt nodded. "Yeah – didn't I mention that during our flight? Yeah, I've been here plenty of times. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've eaten everything on the menu. I can definitely steer you away from the duds."

"Thanks," Harm said quickly, "but we'd hate to keep you from your dinner."

"Oh, it's no bother at all – hang on," Matt interjected, looking around, "I'll pull up a chair – I need to make sure my new best friends don't end up green around the gills on their first night in Aruba."

And so it began again. After helping them order, Matt sat with them all through dinner that night, regaling them with more tales from his early years.

Early the next morning, Mac and Harm went for a long walk on the beach, enjoying the beautiful sunrise, the feeling of the hot, powdery, white sand beneath their feet, the sights and sounds of the surf, and each other's company. It was the perfect setting for a romantic walk – well, at least until Matt spotted 'his new best friends' and joined them for the rest of it.

Things only got worse that same afternoon, when Harm and Mac were relaxing in the jacuzzi (a particularly beautiful, intimate one sheltered by lush, green palm fronds) when someone slid in beside them – a grinning Matt, yelling "Surprise!"

That evening, Mac and Harm decided to try out the Italian restaurant, and by a not-so-happy coincidence, Matt was there too, and once again he invited himself to their table under the pretext of helping them decide what to order.

"That guy is stalking us," Harm muttered grimly later that night, as they lay in bed, finally alone. "I mean, at this point I honestly would not be surprised if he crawled out from underneath this bed right now."

"Maybe he's just _really_ lonely," Mac mused.

"Well, there has got to be someone else around here that's also lonely and would appreciate his company. Why does he have to bother us? It's got to be obvious to him – and everyone else – that we came here to spend time with _each other_. I mean, I'm really trying hard to be polite to the guy, but he's driving me crazy. The next time he shows up, I might tell him to take a hike. We only have three days left here, and I don't think I can take even one more minute of Matt."

Mac shrugged – she'd defended Matt at first, but at that moment she was tired of his constant interruptions and over-familiarity too. She wanted her husband to herself for the short time they had left in Aruba. "I have an idea," she said playfully, "we'll just have to set up some kind of 'Matt-watch'. If he's determined to bombard us with his presence at every turn, we'll have to counter it by getting away from him before he gets to us."

Mac sat up, excited about the merits of her plan as she continued to spell it out. "One of us will be constantly on the lookout, and the moment we see him coming, we'll figure out a way to make our escape before he sees us." She snapped her fingers to indicate the stealth with which they'd have to move in order to stay 'Matt-free'.

"Sounds like a plan," Harm responded, with a laugh. "I'll take the first watch tomorrow morning."

"Deal," Mac said, sticking out her hand to shake Harm's.

Harm chuckled. "I can't believe how seriously we were strategizing about this."

"I know – this really can't be what we went through years of training for," Mac laughed.

"Well," Harm responded, pulling his wife back down until she was lying beside him, "thankfully there are _some_ things we can still do without worrying about Matt."

But as he leaned down to kiss Mac, he took one last look around the room, just to be sure. Then Mac's slender arms reached up to him. She slid one hand through his hair and wrapped another around his neck, and as she pulled him down towards her, Harm forgot all about Matt, and lost himself in the moment.


	3. Chapter 3 - 'Operation Lose Matt'

The next morning marked the start of Day 3 of their vacation and Day 1 of 'Operation Lose Matt', as Harm and Mac dubbed it. They began the day with a run, and this time, Harm spotted Matt while he was still several feet away. They waved at the other man, smiled and kept on running.

Harm and Mac had a late breakfast, timing it to coincide perfectly with the moment Harm spotted Matt leaving the restaurant after his own meal. That afternoon, after they spotted Matt sunning himself on the beach, they decided water sports would be a good idea, so they went jet-skiing and snorkeling. They returned to the beach shortly after Harm saw Matt roll up his beach towel and return to his room.

After stripping down to their swimwear and putting on their sunglasses, they lay back to enjoy the sunshine in comfortable silence. As they were visiting Aruba in 'low season', the sprawling beach was quiet and peaceful, with only a few other vacationers – the perfect setting for the solitude they craved.

"You know," Mac said after a few minutes, "after such an amazing day, I can't help feeling bad for the way we've avoided Matt. He's here all alone… he has no one to share all this beauty with. Maybe he just needs some company."

Harm sighed. "I'm sure he does, Mac, but that's not _our_ problem, and that's no reason for him to constantly impose himself on other people. He's completely unreasonable and inconsiderate."

"You're right," Mac replied, "but I feel like there's a story there… something that drives him to act like this, something he hasn't told us yet."

"He's told us his entire life history, Mac. We know enough about that man to write a book," was Harm's dry response.

"Yeah," Mac said slowly, "we know all about his childhood, his teenage years, where he went to college, what he does for a living – but he's never mentioned if he was ever married, or if he has kids, for example. Don't you think that's a little odd? It's almost like he's told us a lot of stuff, but only the things he wants us to know."

"You know, I did ask him back on the plane – after you conveniently dozed off and left me in his clutches –," Harm teased, and Mac responded with a laugh.

Harm continued. "I did ask him to tell me about his family, but he immediately changed the subject. I guessed he just didn't want to talk about them, so I didn't bring it up again. But you're right, it is a little unusual. Maybe he's just a confirmed bachelor – never married, no kids."

"But then he could have just said that, right? Unless it's a sore subject for some reason."

The two lapsed into a reflective silence, which Harm broke with laughter. "Listen to us – we've gone from trying to escape the guy to trying to solve his deepest mysteries. This is ridiculous."

"I know," Mac rolled her eyes, "guess we're 'worksick' or something – desperately looking for something to investigate."

"Well," Harm replied, moving onto his side, his gaze roaming over his wife's slender form, her flawless olive skin beautifully set off by the miniscule green bikini she was wearing, "if we _must_ investigate anything, I can think of many more… satisfying subjects than Matt's private life."

Mac smiled and rolled languidly to face him, propping her head up on her hand and crossing one leg lightly over the other, the pose highlighting her feminine curves as they gleamed in the island sunlight.

"Mac," Harm breathed, his voice low and rough with desire, his eyes burning into Mac's even through their dark glasses, "you're breathtaking."

Mac felt herself blushing – she was still amazed at the strength of the response Harm could stir up in her with just a look and a few simple words. "You're pretty good to look at yourself, Commander," she replied, and she meant it – with his tall, athletic body on display, she hadn't been able to take her eyes off him. It seemed like the more she was with him; the more she was drawn to him.

She smiled suddenly. 'Remember the first time you saw me in a bikini?"

Harm groaned, taking his sunglasses off to look at her incredulously. "Like I could ever forget! I don't think I've ever felt so out of control in my adult life. I wanted to haul you off like some sort of caveman."

"You could have fooled me," Mac said softly, thinking back to that sunny day. "I guess on one level I was hoping to provoke a reaction from you, but you were so infuriatingly calm."

"I was a mess on the inside, Mac," Harm admitted. "I was still trying to keep my feelings for you under control. The whole situation with you and Brumby on that beach totally destroyed me – I don't know how I managed to keep it together."

"You let your control slip a little that night on the ferry," Mac whispered.

"Not enough," was Harm's regretful rejoinder.

"I wish I'd understood you better that night," Mac said wistfully, "I just felt rejected."

Harm reached out and ran his hand over Mac's arm, sending ripples of sensation down it. "I should have made it clear that I wasn't saying 'no'. I wish –."

Harm's words trailed off – they both knew what he wished, and they both knew they couldn't go back and change anything – they could only accept the lessons they'd learned, and move forward. They'd had this conversation several times before – about past mistakes and words that should not have been left unspoken. They agreed back when they first started dating that they would talk those issues through and then leave past moments behind, but every now and then, lingering regrets would resurface.

It was time to move on to less painful subjects, and Mac knew just how to steer Harm's mind away from memories of the disastrous ferry encounter. She rose gracefully to her feet, left her sunglasses on her deck chair, and headed for the waves, tossing a quick "Race you to the water," over her shoulder.

They met in the pristine, deep blue waters, and waded in until they were waist-deep. They splashed around like children and then made out like teenagers. Before long, Mac's legs were wrapped around Harm as they embraced and kissed passionately, heat and passion rising within them like a flood. After a while, Harm forced himself to pull away slightly. "I think we should take this inside, Mac," he said, breathing deeply. "We wouldn't want to offend the locals."

They were wading on to the beach, arms wrapped around each other, when they heard a familiar voice – one that made them cringe.


	4. Chapter 4 - Aruban Anniversaries

"Hey guys! I've been looking for you all day!" Matt Ryerson was running towards them, waving wildly.

"Oh no," Mac muttered under her breath. She was only just beginning to realize how much they were enjoying their day together without the constant 'shadow' of Matt.

"Still feel guilty about avoiding him?" Harm asked rhetorically.

"We just can't seem to shake this guy, no matter what we do," Mac sighed. "Maybe you were right - we should have told him to back off right from the start."

"Well," Harm said wryly, "looks like we might still get our chance."

They took the last few steps out of the water and greeted Matt quietly.

"So," Matt began excitedly, "I hear they're doing a barbeque special tonight. I'm starving – how does an early dinner sound to you?"

"No thanks," Mac replied quickly, "we were actually just heading back to our room."

Harm nodded his assent. "We're going to uh, get some rest before dinner".

Matt frowned and persisted. "Well, if you just need to get changed and freshened up, I can wait. I can meet you outside the restaurant in say, thirty minutes?"

Mac decided it was time to be firm. "No thanks, Matt. Enjoy your dinner, but we would really like to spend the rest of our day alone."

Harm's arm tightened around Mac in support - he realized that she really was as fed up with Matt as he was.

Matt's face fell, and for a moment it seemed he would turn away, but he evidently decided to give it one last shot. "Hey, don't be such spoilsports. You guys are together all the time! You've spent the entire day by yourselves. What's a holiday without new friends?"

Harm finally gave up on being nice and polite. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but edged with steel. "You heard my wife - we want to be left alone. Listen Matt, it was nice to meet you, but please respect our privacy, or we'll be forced to take appropriate action."

Matt was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was subdued. "I guess I've been fooling myself all this time, thinking you guys liked me. Well, at least now I know that I'm not wanted."

Matt turned to walk away, as the couple silently watched him, irritated by his behavior and unwilling to engage in further conversation. After a few steps, he turned back to them, looking dejected. "I'm sorry... I've made a total fool of myself, haven't I? I've humiliated myself, like everyone said I would."

Harm and Mac were stunned when Matt's eyes filled with tears. "I-I… I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to intrude. I'm so ashamed."

Feeling sorry for him, Mac tried to be kind. "We were just hoping for some alone-time while we were here, Matt. It's nothing personal."

To Mac's shock and Harm's embarrassment, the tears started to slide down Matt's face. "I've just been so lonely."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Matt cleared his throat and continued. "I should have told you this when we first met, but it's still so hard to talk about…."

He was silent, looking down at his feet for a long moment, before he continued. "For over twenty years, my wife Lisa and I came to Aruba every year for our anniversary. We were college sweethearts – we got married as soon we graduated. We were married for thirty-five years, and we never spent more than a night or two apart. We were never blessed with children, but after a few years we accepted that, and we focused on each other and our small circle of friends. We were so happy together."

Matt stood staring into the distance for a long moment, the sadness in his eyes telling Harm and Mac all they needed to know. He fished his wallet out of the pocket of his shorts and showed Mac and Harm a picture – it was him and Lisa standing on a beach, looking happy, relaxed and in love. Lisa, a dark-eyed brunette, was wearing a long, white dress, and Matt looked smart in a white suit.

"That was just a year ago," Matt continued, his voice choked as the tears continued to flow. "We came here to renew our vows on our twenty-fifth anniversary. We'd barely returned to the States when she was diagnosed. Ovarian cancer. They caught it too late, and there was nothing they could do – she died four months ago."

There was silence for a moment as Mac wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm so sorry," Harm said.

"Lisa and I were everything to each other," Matt said. "She was my best friend. Since she left me, I've just been so lost. My friends encouraged me to seek counseling, but I just – it hurts so much to talk about her. I couldn't imagine how talking about her to some stranger would help me."

He swiped at his eyes, but the tears continued to stream down. "With our anniversary approaching, I decided to come here. Everyone tried to discourage me - they all told me that it would only stir up painful memories, but I was convinced that I would feel closer to her here – we shared so many happy times in Aruba – laughing, making friends, playing like a couple of overgrown kids. I'd barely gotten on that plane when I realized – it was pointless. She's gone, and I'll grieve for her no matter where I am."

"When I saw you," he gestured towards Mac, "there was just something about you that reminded me of her. Something about your eyes."

Mac smiled kindly. "I told Harm the same thing about you… there's something about your eyes – a kindness – that reminds me of someone... someone very important to me."

"Really?" For the first time since he'd begun his story, a faint smile came to Matt's face. "It always amazes me how quickly we can make connections with strangers. But I was selfish. When I arrived here, I couldn't stand to be alone in this place where everything just reminds me of her... so I thought I could just spend time with both of you. I never stopped to think that you two came here to be alone, just as my Lisa and I did when we first started coming out here."

He sighed. "I guess I really do need to see a counselor. I've been trying to convince myself that being here was helping me, but the truth is – I just need to go home. I need time to heal, and I need to be around the people that care about me. I'll change my flight… I'll leave tomorrow."

He reached out to shake hands with Harm and Mac, still swiping at his eyes. "You two are such a nice couple. Thank you – for putting up with me, and for telling me the truth about my behavior. Enjoy the rest of your stay."

As he walked away, he cut a forlorn figure in the fading light on the beach.

Mac sighed deeply. "Go after him, Harm."

"You don't think he'd rather be alone?"

"No, I think you should take him to the bar for a drink or something. Somewhere quiet where you can just sit and talk. He'll probably feel more comfortable with just you. I'm glad he's going home to be with the people who love him, but I don't think he should spend too much time alone before he leaves."

Harm nodded reluctantly. "I hate to leave you alone."

Mac smiled. "I'll be fine. I think room service might be a good idea tonight – when you come back, we'll have dinner and then we'll see where the rest of the night takes us."

_A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Just a short epilogue left..._


	5. Epilogue - 'We Shouldn't Wait'

_A/N: Thanks again to you all for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it! I especially loved the guesses about what Matt was up to with his highly stalkerish behavior! The story ends here, but in a way it's a time for new beginnings - for Matt, as well as for Mac and Harm._

That evening, Harm and Matt had a long talk over a couple of beers - or more accurately, Harm listened to Matt talk over a couple of beers. Stripped of his false cheerfulness, Matt was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued at first. But once he started talking, the words burst forth in a stream of thoughts about life, love and loss. Matt vacillated from melancholy to anger to despair. But even in the midst of his sadness, there were still moments when he would remember something amusing about his wife, and he would laugh - the laughter tinged with sorrow - as he shared the memories of her with Harm.

Eventually, Matt fell silent, and after a moment, he turned to Harm. "Thank you."

Harm drained the last of his beer. "No need to thank me, Matt."

"No," Matt shook his head. "I absolutely have to thank you. I almost ruined your vacation, and in spite of that you're now spending your evening with me, instead of your wife. You didn't have to do that, and I'll never forget it."

Harm nodded, and the two men left the bar in companionable silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Matt's thoughts were on how he needed to start rebuilding his life - a new life without Lisa. Wondering if he had the strength to start over, he kept recalling one of her favorite sayings, 'Life is what you make of it - and I choose to make it a really delicious peach pie'. And he smiled softly to himself. Harm's thoughts were on Mac, wondering if she would still be awake when he reached their room, and if she would still be interested in finding out 'where the evening would take them'. Fortunately for him, she was.

Early the next morning, when Matt was ready to leave for the airport, Mac and Harm walked him out to his cab. They exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch.

As they walked back to their room, hand in hand, Mac sighed. "Poor guy. Think he'll be okay?"

"I'm sure he will, with a little help," Harm replied. "You know, for all the inconvenience he caused us at first, I learned a lot from Matt. Or maybe I should say he reinforced a lot of life lessons for me. Most important, that life is short. We shouldn't wait to do the things we've always dreamed of, Mac."

"Yeah, now that we're together – and _finally_ alone, we should work on making some more dreams come true." Mac smiled, and there was a soft look in her eyes. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking that we should go back to bed and continue where we left off last night, then yes, then I'd say we're definitely on the same page."

"Yeah... you're right, I was thinking_ that_," Mac agreed, her eyes twinkling with fun and mischief, "but I was also thinking that when we get home, we should stop talking about trying for a baby – and just start trying. I think we're ready, Harm."

Harm stopped and took his wife in his arms, looking down at her, his heart in his eyes. "I think so too. I love you, Mac."

"I love you too. Happy Anniversary."


End file.
